Hi Group– Happy Lunar New Year! Here’s a few notes on happenings in our design world.

Trophies & Certificates for Finalists and winners: the ordering period for these puppies ends next Friday, January 29. For more information please visit the trophy page at Sparkawards, under the Media tab, Sparkstore. http://www.sparkawards.com/media/store/trophy-certificates/
If interested, hurry and place your order–this will be the last opportunity until next December.

Our friends and Brother/Sisters in Awards at Core77 have just launched the 6th year of the Core77 Design Awards. They showcase great work in this unique competition. Early Bird pricing ends on Tuesday, February 9th, so get your entry in now to save. Competition: http://bit.ly/1n1e7Ve Home: www.core77.com

We just visited the awesome CES in Vegas. So much design, so little time. We high-spotted the show & met some great new friends. Highly recommended. Also highly recommended, the Munich Creative Business Week, which is longer than a week–20-28 February. It has to be, because it covers everything creative, from advertising to film to design and fashion. This week is also home of the fabulous iF Design Awardshow, February 26. It’s open to all friends of design and it’s a great party. Look for Spark, we’ll be around all week.

We’ll also be enjoying the NYCxDesign Week, 3-7 May, CES Asia in Shanghai, 11-14 May and the ICFF, 14-17 May, back in New York.

June will be a busy month of our own doing, with the Spark Spring Concept & Student Awards and Spark Spring Product deadlines, Juries and the Spark Summer Celebration late in the month.

All the 2016 Spark Award categories have launched. This is the Earlybird entry period, when all design categories have their lowest entry fees of the year. You might want to jump on this limited time offer.

Hot Town—Summer In the City!Hi Folks—we hope you are well and creating some neat designs. We have a very busy season starting soon, so this will be short & sweet.First, The Great Country To Our North, Canada—Has decided to get tough with all the orgs around the world that communicate by email newsletters—like this one. So, if you are a Canadian, sorry, but you must confirm in writing via email that you wish to continue to receive Spark news.Power Juries—We have been recruiting some great Jurors for the 8th Annual Spark Awards. Among this exciting lineup is Dr. Gorden Wagener, head of Daimler Design (Mercedes-Benz).Photo by Michael Dannenmann

Gordon assumes the duty of Spark Transport Design Chair, joining Chris Chapman, head of US design for Hyundai, Terence Young, architect for iconic airports like SFO International and Klaus Tritschler, head of design for ICON Aircraft.

With 42 jurors so far, we can’t list everyone here, so please visit Spark and check them out. All great design talents and we’re honored that they could join the Bench!

More Jury News—
We are very chuffed to announce our first jury in Asia. We are holding the Spark Concept Design jury in Shenzhen, to be followed by the Spark Asia Winners Celebration on the next day. The host for this dual event is the China International Industrial Design Fair (SZIDF), on November 30. There will be jurors from the US, South Korea, China, Australia, Hong Kong and Taiwan and as always, entries from around the world.

Time To Prep Your Entries—
September seems a long way off, but it’s coming at us like a fast freight train. And all the Spark Pro competitions have their Standard Deadline on September 22. (Late deadline is October 10.) So it makes good sense to prepare your entries sooner rather than later.

Big Ol’ Texas Coupon—
To do our part and encourage you to “beat the rush,” we’re offering a very limited time coupon, good for 25%-off for any of the 8 Spark Competitions. The coupon is valid until August 31.

Our friends at the IDSA—
Are hosting “The Exchange,” their national conference beginning August 13. It’s open to all designers, so head on down to Austin, Texas. Spark will be there, eating up scrumptious BBQ and fine design.

In honor of this great event, the 25%-off coupon code is IDSA-EXCHANGE

Student & Educator Alert—
August 1 marks the beginning of the Fall Semester entry period. The discount Earlybird entry rates end on August 31, so get your entries organized and registered before that date, if you want to save some bucks.

8X8X8
This is the 8th year of Spark, and Spark is excited to announce the Call For Entries for 8 competitions and 8 all new juries. These include Spark Experience, Spark Product, Spark Transport, Spark Graphic, Spark Spaces, Spark Health, Spark Screen and Spark Concept & Student Design. To find out more, please visit the http://www.Sparkawards.com website.

SPRING EDITION 2014
Editor -n- Chief, Peter F. Kuchnicki

Spring, 2014
Year Eight

Spark At Work In Asia—3 Partnerships Announced

Details of 2014 co-operations in China, South Korea and Taiwan have begun to emerge. Spark Awards will promote and take part in the next CIDF in Shenzhen; the International Co-Creative Design Competition in South Korea and the Taiwan Designer’s Week in Taipei.

The producers of the eighth annual Spark Design Awards are big believers in co-creation, according to Spark Founder Peter Kuchnicki. “We are about to start work on three events that will utilize cooperative efforts to promote design for betterment. Since this relates directly to Spark’s mission, we are excited to have great partners to help propel these efforts.”

Each project will reach their mutual goals by different means. The China International Design Fair is mounting an extensive effort to gather a generation of great designers and services. The goal is to aggregate, prioritize and share knowledge and best practices about advanced design technologies. The CIDF and Spark teams will work together to promote and produce aspects of both the Fair and the Awards this year. Shirley Feng, Executive Director of the SIDA, is leading efforts in China on behalf of the CIDF and Spark. The CIDF will be held in Shenzhen, beginning November 29.

The Co-Creative Design Competition is directed by Ms Juhyun Eune, Professor of Media Design and Director of Integrated Creative Design at Seoul National University. The competition is an international effort to encourage and develop multidisciplinary designs that create social innovation and sustainable lifestyles. The winning student teams will share a cash prize of up to US$3000. All CCDC entrants will be eligible for a Spark entry-discount of 30%. The theme of the competition is Safety & Security. Registration opens June 1 and closes in mid-October. (Spark deadlines may be found at this link: here.)

The Taiwan Designer’s Week is scheduled for the week of October 3-12, in Taipei. In the months preceding this event, the TDW will be promoting Spark entry opportunities and hosting Spark activities at the TDW. Spark in turn, is seeking sponsorships for the event. “This is probably the most important and vibrant event in Asia for designers,” according to Spark Founder Kuchnicki. “Unlike most design weeks, the TDW concerns itself with young designers and firms. This is not about economic development on a macro-level. This is about getting good designers the exposure they deserve and the clients they need. It is the perfect atmosphere for a savvy sponsor interested in supporting cutting-edge and very social design.”

SPARK DETERMINED TO ENGAGE WITH PARTNERS AROUND THE WORLD
“We want you” said Spark Education Director, Clark Kellogg. “Creating relationships with kindred spirits in the design world helps all of us to achieve our goals and support our missions. Design has a responsibility to help rebuild our battered planet. It is a vast task, but we believe that together, it can and must be done.

Spark Plans For 2014—Time To Grow
Last season, Spark tested the feasibility of highly focused competitions for different design disciplines and categories. The results are clear. Measured in number of entries, Spark grew nearly 50% over 2012. The strongest growth was in the USA, closely followed by Asia.

For 2014, we will continue to explore new directions:
-We have launched Spark Health, focused on health and medical related designs
-We have launched Spark Screen, design delivered on a screen
-Spark Communication will be renamed Spark Graphic
-The Spark Call For Entry began January 1st, so the Eighth Annual International Spark Awards have commenced!

Winter, 2014
Year Eight

Spark Toasts Winners At Celebration 1/30/14

Seventh Year of Spark Design Awards Ends on a High Note
We always look forward to the Spark Celebration. It signifies that another cycle has been completed, a new group of innovative designs have been gathered and we’re about to meet many of their designers in person.

Good food, good company and great design will all be at the Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco, from 6 to 9pm. Everyone who loves design is welcome!

AllSpark Awards, Too!
The Celebration is also where the “Bests of the Best” are announced. These awards are given to three winning designs from 2013 that epitomize the Spark mission—Design For Betterment. The three awards are all of the same level and may come from any of our seven competitions. They are chosen by alumni Spark Jurors from 2007 to present.

Design luminary Arnold Wasserman is the AllSpark Jury chair and our host. Arnold teaches at Carnegie-Mellon and is part of the Collective Invention consulting team.

December Was So China
Every December finds Sparks Over China. We mounted our first public exhibition of the 2013 Spark winners, and for added spice, we had 2011 and 2012 winners in the show as well. Mitchell Mauk designed the lovely pavilion, which was one of the highlights of the fair.

The CIIDF organizer was the Shenzhen Industrial Design Association, who pulled everything together in only two months. SIDA announced that over 150,000 visitors attended the 15,000 sm event. Spark was the #1 pavilion of 176 exhibitors and has been invited back for the 2014 “International Design Fair.”

Spark also attended the annual meeting of the Global Design Network in Hong Kong.

Kajsa Bengtson, MINC.se

“The GDN is the best forum of its kind in the world,” said Peter Kuchnicki, Spark Director. “And it had a new format this year and it really delivered a well-rounded program.”

CORE77 Design Awards Call For EntryOur media partner, CORE77 has announced a March 20 deadline for their exciting design competition. We encourage you to check out their 17 entry categories and learn more about the program>HERE

Spark Plans For 2014—Time To Grow
Last season, Spark tested the feasibility of highly focused competitions for different design disciplines and categories. The results are clear. Measured in number of entries, Spark grew nearly 50% over 2012.

For 2014, we will continue to explore new directions:

-We have launched Spark Health, focused on health and medical related designs
-We have launched Spark Screen, design delivered on a screen
-Spark Communication will be renamed Spark Graphic
-The Spark Call For Entry now begins January 1st, so the Eighth Annual Spark Awards have commenced!

August 2013
Year Seven

Spark Begins Third-Quarter
With a Bang! Standard Deadline:
September 15

Heads Up, Designers & Design Marketers
Deadlines are quickly approaching. Enter by September 15 to keep entry fees down. But don’t fret if you miss that deadline—the Late (and last) 2013 Deadline is October 10.

The registration system is pretty easy to follow. Just fill out the info >HERE, make sure to check your email for our verification link, click on it and Bob’s yer uncle. (You are ready to submit entries.)

Where Did It Go?
Wow–this Summer has flown by. We hope you’ve had some quality time-off. Spark has kept pretty busy renovating our offices. Now we’re kicking off the 2013 marcom campaign via digital and good old print media. We’ll be reaching out to every design community in the world and we’ll need your help to do it. Please—make sure all your design friends know about the events to come.

Where Do We Go?
Yep– we’re off again. The Spark team, including founder Pete Kuchnicki, are paying visits to designers, design firms, companies and schools in Hong Kong, Taipei and Seoul beginning in late August. We’ll post the fun at the Spark AsianLine blog.

Where Does Spark Go?
Into our seventh year— and now with seven Sparks. That’s a very lucky 7×7! To commemorate our 7th anniversary, we have been developing our latest cutting-edge competition: Spark>Experience Design. Here’s Studio Hinrich’s striking Spark>Experience icon:
This relatively new discipline goes under several names, like Service Design, UE, UX, XD and Experience Design. It’s about analyzing, designing and improving the user’s experience.This is new territory for design awards. Spark wants to see—through your entries—the experience of designing experience. Everyone—clients and consultants both, are affected by going through this process. It has to change you, and we want to know how. Learn More >HERE

Creative Hotspots For Creative Hotshots.
The seven Spark Juries are confirmed, and the judging venues need to epitomize the innovation and forward-thinking that Spark stands for. The Autodesk Gallery, our host for 5 years, is an outstanding example of this.
Created by visionary CEO Carl Bass and ably curated by Jason Medal-Katz and his team, the Gallery is an inspiration to visitors and Spark jurors alike. (They have some great parties, too!) Autodesk will be hosting five of the largest Spark competitions this year, but two brand new events will also take place in Los Angeles.Architecture and design firm Gensler is 2013 hosting sponsor for the new Spark>Experience Design and Spark>Transport Design juries. “The action will take place in late October,” said Spark Jury Manager, Claire Woolf. “Entries from around the world will be judged in this breathtaking facility. We’re honored with Gensler’s recognition of Spark and grateful for the opportunity to launch our newest competitions in this spectacular space.”

Speaking of Sparktacular
The new Spark 2013 Poster by Kit Hinrichs is out, and it’s one of our all-time favorites. It is being sent to all the top design schools and firms. A very limited number of high-quality collector’s editions are available at US $50. (Size is 11″x17″, mailed in a tube. Printed by RIOT Creative Imaging.)

ALL SPARK 2013 COMPETITIONS
ARE ACCEPTING ENTRIESWe’re Open For Business!

How Do You Spark?
All designers are welcome to
join the community. You don’t
have to enter work to be a
part of this design scene. Community members are
invited to all our Spark Meets, Award Celebrations, Exhibits
and other events. If you are
also interested in submitting
work, community members
receive discount offers
throughout the year. Visit www.sparkawards.com to register—it’s free.

Spark Goes All-Out in 2013: Six Competitions For All Design & All Designers

April 22, 2013–New York, NYWith expectations high, the Spark community and team have begun a new cycle of design awards. The Call For Entries has been issued for each event—Concept & Student, Spaces, Product, Communication, Mobility and the new App design awards.

Jury Duty
The six new Spark Juries are being assembled with some very talented designers already on board. Here’s a sampling:

Spark>App Kickoff Promo
We’re excited about the new Spark>App competition, and to encourage great “appiness” in the land, we’ve come up with a great promotion. If you or your organization enter any other Spark competition, and you also have an App for that design—you can enter it in Spark>App at no additional cost. Just upload the work, save as a draft and contact Spark. (Small print: only one free entry per customer, and finalist and winners fees still apply.)

First 2013 Sparks Fly In—Neat Stuff!
It’s always great to see the first signs of Spring here in New York, including some lovely daffodils and most especially, the first designs to arrive in the new competitions. Here’s a peek— EidosSensoryAugmentation

Happy Holidays To the Spark Community! May Your Celebration be Merry and New Year Prosperous

NEW YORK, NY DECEMBER 20, 2012
As the year draws to a close, the Spark team would like to extend our profound thanks for your support, commitment and enthusiasm. The 2012 competitions were impressive in every way—the caliber of the entries, your aspirational ambitions and the innovation you demonstrated. Designers, you were the best!

So, because of this outpouring of talent, creativity and hard work, Spark always has its Christmas a little early. We’ve opened our gifts and they are the most fabulous designs of the year. Thanks Sparks!

The 2012 Spark Is A Wrap
Over 500 designers, architects, design firms and manufacturers submitted their work in hopes for winning a coveted Spark Award. “This year ended on a high note,” said Spark President Peter Kuchnicki. “The judging went very smoothly, our new voting App worked beautifully and the process produced a great group of winners.” Now the Spark team has just completed the first Spark Exhibition and tying up details–like the Spark Trophy.

First 2012 Spark Exhibition Huge Success in China
Organized bi-annually by the Guangdong Industrial Design Society, the exhibition was a grand affair.
We exhibited many of the 2012 Spark winners at the Guangdong Industrial Design Week, site of the famous Canton Fairs.
The exhibit was viewed by thousands of visitors, including the governor of the province and charismatic former Party Secretary, Wang Yang.
Mr. Wang was a strong advocate of design during his leadership of Guangdong and spoke highly of the Spark exhibit. Perhaps because of his kind remarks, we just received a government request for the Spark exhibition to tour China.

Following that tour, the exhibition will be mounted in Taiwan, in part sponsored by two-time Spark winners, Akitipe Studios.New Competition Launches—the First For App DesignSpark>App has issued it’s Call For Entry and we’re pretty excited here at Spark HQ. “It’s an ‘appening’ scene,” quipped Spark Senior Advisor Clark Kellogg. “Clearly app design is of large and growing importance. Spark>App will perform a useful function for app designers, identifying the best designs, articulating their qualities and raising standards. Most importantly, Spark will promote these designs and designers, building awareness and the recognition they deserve.”

Spark>App is currently in the Earlybird submission period, with entry fees at their lowest. The Earlybird deadline is January 31. The Late and final deadline will be May 6.

Check out www.sparkawards.com for more info on this hot new platform.

The Next Round of Spark Awards Begins in MarchThe other five Spark Awards (Spark>Concept & Student, Spark>Communication, Spark>Spaces and Spark>Mobility), representing almost everything that can be designed, will be launched in March, 2013 with final deadlines in September. These competitions cover architecture, interior design, packaging, electronics, exhibitions, graphic designs, lighting and kitchen devices. “We’ve seen books, seaplanes, toys, heavy equipment, street lights, underwear, combat radios– it’s an amazing array,” says Jury Manager Claire Woolf. “We never know what to expect and it’s quite impossible to plan for. Of course, that’s the fun of it, too!”

How Can You Participate?
All designers are welcome to join the community. You don’t have to enter work to be a part of this design scene. Community members are invited to all our Spark>Meets, Awards Celebrations, Exhibits and other events. If you are interested in submitting work, community members get discount offers throughout the year. Visit www.sparkawards.com to register—it’s free.

You can purchase this lovely tome at Amazon for $50, or you can send us a holiday note to books @ sparkawards.com. Put DISCOUNT in the title line for a half-off deal—only $25 plus shipping. We’ll handle orders via Paypal.

—HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

SPARK’S DEADLINES
Final Deadline for most
of the Spark competitions is
October 1o, at 11:59 Pacific
Daylight Time. This includes
the Concept, Product, Spaces & Communication. Spark:Mobility is February 28th. Enter soon to
promote your work until then!
Register Today>HERE
————————————

Antiquarian Fair Poster
Kit HinrichsSPARK EXHIBITIONS
We’re headed back in Asia
for the annual round of winter
events. Spark will be exhibi-
ting the 2012 winners at
two huge events–

Gadgets & Gizmos, Buildings & Expos, Experts & No-Shows: All Part of the Fun in Final Hours of this Global Festival of Design

NEW YORK, NY SEPTEMBER 29, 2012
Hundreds of designers, architects and manufacturers have already submitted their best hopes for winning the coveted 2012 Spark Design Awards. “This is the famous final week of the submission period for Spark,” said Spark President Peter Kuchnicki. “Famous in the design community because more than half of the entrants wait until the last week to register, and it’s a bit mad. We’re here in support on weekends and well into the wee hours. By late in the night of October 8th, 99% of our friends will be ready for the judge’s vote.”

Spark Accepts Entries Until Oct. 8EXTENDED TO OCTOBER 10
Organizers urge designers to promptly enter their work. “We can and do accept work right up to the deadline,” said Kuchnicki. “But it’s best to not risk a last-second entry mistake. This will be the only opportunity until 2013 to take part in a Spark.”

PRx7, Johnson, McGowan & Morton

Expecting the Unexpected: from Medical Devices to Street Furniture
What can be entered in a design competition? In the five different Spark Awards (Spark:Concept, Spark:Communication, Spark:Spaces and Spark:Mobility), almost everything that can be designed will be represented. These forms include buildings, interior design, packaging, electronics, exhibitions, graphic designs, lighting and kitchen devices. “We’ve seen seaplanes, toys, heavy equipment, street lights, underwear, combat radios– it’s an amazing array,” says Exhibit Manager Aryn Shelander. “We never know what to expect and it’s quite impossible to plan for. Of course, that’s the fun of it, too!”

What Happens Next?
The Spark team does have a framework that guides this, by its very nature, unruly process. “Our next steps begin a process of sorting and organizing the designer’s work for the judges, said Shelander. “Each Jury will first choose Finalists in a two-phase selection system. Then the Finalist designs are delivered to our host judging venue, the Autodesk Design Gallery. The various juries assemble there and judging takes place the last week of October. The Spark Awards will be announced shortly afterwards. I know it all sounds so complicated, but rest assured–it’s much more so,” she laughed.

As design and architecture firms around the world prepare their entries, their burning question: can they make the Oct. 8EXTENDED TO OCTOBER 10 deadline?

Tension is rising in the design professions as the final deadlines for the five Spark Design competitions nears. With hundreds of entries streaming into the Spark website, two questions are paramount. Can the entrants manage all the details and “paperwork” of their online submission in time, and will the Spark registration system hold up under the stress?ASKED AND ANSWERED
Spark Ombudsman, Clark Kellogg, has all the answers. “Entrants, be they designers, assistants or consultants, need to keep Spark’s schedule in mind and plan ahead. Our final deadline is firm, because so much activity, like juries, follows immediately. The system stops accepting entries precisely at 11:59pm, Pacific Daylight Time Zone.” Kellogg continued, “If your entry materials (3 images, maximum 1 mb each and short and long descriptions) are prepared in advance, the actual time to submit online can be as fast as 5 minutes per entry.”

“As to the Spark systems, they are quite robust, engineered earlier this year by Pluo Consulting to take advantage of the newest technologies. It’s well-tested, well managed and has redundant safeguards. We’re ready! But don’t wait to enter–stuff happens.”

WINNERS IN NEXT SPARKBOOK
The winners of these Awards will become the stars of the next Spark Design Awards Annual, to be published next year. The 2011 edition was recently published and is available at Amazon.

SPARK’S DEADLINES
Standard Deadline for most
of the Spark competitions is
September 17. This includes
Concept, Product, Spaces, &
Communication. Spark:Mobility
is February 28th. Enter soon to
promote your work until then!
Register Today>HERE
————————————
DESIGN CALENDAR15-18 Aug IDSA International Conference, Boston

NEW SPARK BOOK
ARRIVES AUGUST 25

At last—our first Spark publication. Now the fun begins! We are delighted to publish our first Spark Design Awards Annual. It is full of compelling designs that have won a Spark Award during the 2011 season. Read the chapters inside, and share the surprise and excitement of our judges as they explored, deliberated, debated and ultimately chose the special designs you’ll see here. The book includes 160 pages and covers the winning designs of the 2011 Spark:Pro, Spark:Concept Spring and Spark:Concept Fall competitions.

“Winning Designs of the 2011 Spark Competitions.”
Available August 25, we are taking pre-orders now, with a special offer to Spark Community members. The book’s list price at Amazon (and other fine booksellers) will be US$85.00 plus shipping. Spark Community members will receive a 25% discount, for a total of $63.75 plus shipping. Joining the Spark Community is free (entering the competitions is not required). Special note: 2011 winners will receive one Spark Annual as part of their Winners Circle package. Interested? Then send a note to SparkBook@sparkawards.com or visit:>HERE

ESI Pages in Spark AnnualLAST WEEK TO BEAT THE HEAT—ENTER 2 DESIGNS, GET 3rd FREE
But you’ll have to hurry, because this promotion ends August 1, at 11:59 pm, Pacific. All the details are >HERE

JUST WHAT ARE THE ALL:SPARK AWARDS?
Glad you asked! To honor and continue Spark’s tradition of being the “One For All” design competition, we have inaugurated the All:Spark Awards. This competition is only for the elite top winners of this year’s five focused competitions. These top-level winners of Spark Concept, Communication, Product, Mobility and Spaces competitions will be the only participants in the All:Sparks.

The huge All:Spark Jury is composed of most of the Jurors from 2007 to this year. The Jury Chair is the renowned design thinker, Arnold Wasserman, of the Idea Factory and Collective Invention.

Three equal All:Spark winners will be chosen and receive the Spark KUDOS Award.

EARLY ENTRIES ANNOUNCED—DESIGNERS DESIGN, SPARKS FLY
The first rounds of the Spark Design Awards have brought in submissions from around the world. They illustrate the creativity, entrepreneurship and cleverness of their designers. The exuberance of this work is further proof that the economic crisis has not dampened the spirits or creativity of the design community,” said Spark Founder, Peter Kuchnicki. ” We are seeing everything from soaring, ambitious, mega-scale work, to intimate pieces that address small, heart-felt needs.”

Spark reports that current entries represent about one third of the total expected. “August 1 marks the half-way point in our campaign,” Spark Strategic Director, Clark Kellogg stated. “Then the deadlines in September and early October kick in and cause a flurry of entries. It makes things interesting around here!”

SPARK FACTSHEET
–Spark began in 2007, making it one of the newest and hottest of modern design competitions
–Spark welcomes work from all types of designers, from amateur to student to professional
–The competitions have grown an average of more than 20% each year–even in this tough economy
–The Spark Community is open to everyone who loves great design—not just entrants

CALL FOR ENTRY IN EFFECT NOW
All designers from all disciplines may enter after registration. Event organizers have created a website to facilitate this process, >HERE

More information about this organization can be found >HERE

SPRING 2012

SPARK’S DEADLINES
Next Deadline for most of the Spark
competitions is September 17.
This includes Concept, Product, Spaces, & Communication. Spark:Mobility is October 5th. Enter soon to promote
your work until then!

SPARKS OVER KOREAWe’ve recently completed our third visit
to this lovely, rugged land. This time, thanks
to Sam Livingston at Car Design Research,
we gave a short talk at the Hyundai Design
Center and looked over some neat–and top
secret new models. Sorry–no pix allowed!
Later we spoke to students and faculty at
Samsung Design Institute, HongIk University
and Seoul National University. Lunch at Design House, with famed publisher
Younghye Lee was delectable. Of course, meeting up with friends Nara Suh of KIDP
and Frank Zierenberg of the iF Competitions, added to the charm of this visit.

SPARK EARLYBIRD DEADLINE BRINGS WORK FROM AROUND THE WORLD

The deadline passed into the wee hours here in New York, in the midst of yet another weather-related blackout.We were prepared though, and online until the last entry was received, at 23:59 Pacific time. Once again this year, many Sparks came in from the far corners of the world. The States, South Korea and Hong Kong were the biggest sources of entries, but some surprises were in store. Bangkok, Thailand was represented with multiple entries, as was Newmarket-on-Ferguson, Ireland, Enskede, Sweden, Carnegie, Australia and Giza, Egypt. Our warmest welcome to you all!

2012 SPARK JURORS SIGNING IN
This year Spark is deploying an all-star cast of over 50 jurors–just for the primary competitions. In addition, the Spark jurors of past years– nearly 80, will be asked to join the ALL:SPARKS Jury, which will choose the three best designs from the winners of the five primary competitions. (Yes–that means you can win twice!)

ONE OF SPARK’S FAVORITE EXPOS COMES TO TOWN
May 19-22, over 24,000 designers and buyers will return to NYC for this grand annual institution. “North America’s premier showcase for contemporary design, the ICFF lures those in determined pursuit of design’s timely truths and latest trends to an encyclopedic exhibition of up-to-the-moment offerings, as well as a series of fascinating, fun, edifying programs, and a packed schedule of exhibits and features.”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

LATE WINTER, 2012

2010 Winners Issue

SPARK’S DEADLINES

SparK:Concept Autumn/Winter
Standard Deadline is January 9, 2012. Late Deadline is January 23.

The next event will be the new Go:Spark Green Transportation competition. Dates are not yet confirmed, but we hope to launch February 1, and conclude in late May.

The Spring Spark:Concept will launch ion March 1, and conclude in June.

The Spark Awards celebrate design in all disciplines, from Architecture to Digital, Product to Print. Visit and enter today.

ALL DESIGN — ALL DESIGNERS WELCOME!

Best–
from Peter Kuchnicki & the Spark Crew

Spark:Concept Autumn/Winter JuryJury Chair, Kit Hinrichs,
Studio Hinrichs, San Francisco.Professor Jan von Holstein, Tongji Univ., ShanghaiRichard Watson, Principal, Essential Design, BostonAndreas Harlow, Design Director, NIKE, PortlandDan Sturges, Transportation Consultant, BoulderMichael Kirchman, Partner, Global Design Strategies, NYKristen Richards, Editor ArchNewsNow, NYHari Nair, Global Design Director, Whirlpool IndiaYing Liu, Interaction Designer, Teague Design, Seattle
SPARK:MOBILITYWHAT’S THAT ALL ABOUT?
Shhhh. It’s our new, hush hush design competition!
We’re about to launch a new, very Sparky competition dedicated to
finding new transportation solutions that are efficient, sustainable
and of course, beautiful. This will be a wide-ranging competition,
with many categories including Vehicles, Aviation, Rail, Marine, Urban
Systems, Heavy Equipment, Propulsion Systems, Conceptual and
many more. As always, the Spark ethos prevails– We’ll award the
most innovative and aspirational work.
WINNERS HAD GREAT IMPACT. JURY HAD GREAT TIME
The entries were super, the judges thorough…It was a blastTHERE YOU GO AGAIN
Yes–this is the time of the year for the giant Asian design fairs, and we’re off for our annual pilgrimage. We’ll begin in Hong Kong, for the meeting of the Global Design Network and the Business of Design Week. BODW welcomes designers from all over the world with a rich array of events in education, innovation and interface design among many others. A few of you designers will join our Spark Delegation. More info >HERE

ONE WEEK TO GO TO SPARK DEADLINE

The Spark:Pro Late Deadline is rapidly approaching. If you want to enter the 2011 competition, register before September 19th.

In any case–thanks for Sparking!

Spark:Pro Timeline

• Spark:Pro Late Phase 1 Deadline, Sept. 19

• Phase 2 Finalists announced Sept. 21

• Spark:Pro Phase 2 Deadline, Sept. 30

• Spark:Pro Entry Delivery: September 21 to September 30, (All entries must be received by this date)

• Winners notified privately October 3rd. Public announcement October 21

• Special Events: the Exhibition Premiere and Celebration, October 21, at the Autodesk Design Gallery, San Francisco

The Spark Awards celebrate design in all disciplines, from Architecture to Digital, Product to Print. Visit and enter today.

ALL DESIGN — ALL DESIGNERS WELCOME!

Best–
from Peter Kuchnicki & the Spark Crew

NEW DEADLINES!
SPARK:PRO COMING UP FAST
September 19th– Please note the date–and contact Spark if you have any questions. September 19th is the Late Deadline, and Phase 2 judging begins. Phase 2 Finalists are announced September 21, and Finalists will make their arrangements and shipments by September 30. Phase 2 judging will take place October 2.Spark:Pro Jury Includes:David Mocarski, Chair, Environmemtal Design, Art Center College, PasadenaGadi Amit, New Deal Design, San Francisco
Dan Harden, President, Whipsaw, San Jose
Andreas Harlow, Design Director, NIKE, Portland
Cathy Huang, President, China Bridge, Shanghai
Imre Molnar, Dean, College of Creative Studies, Detroit
Rhys Newman, Director Strategic Projects, Nokia Design, Los Angeles
James Parr, Innovation Director, Imaginals, Ltd. London
Stanley Saitowitz, Design Principal, Natoma Architects, San Francisco
John Skidgel, UX Designer, YouTube / Google Inc.
Leslie Speer. Assistant Professor, Art & Design, San Jose State University
Will Laufs, Principal, Buro Happold, New YorkGREAT WORK COMING IN
We’re always thrilled to see the high caliber of work coming into the competition. This year is no exception–check out a few designs below.:
CabLED, by Fiona Kwong
Target Cart, by Continuum
Aeterna, by Vestel ElectronicsBreathing Dress by Crease Xia
Studio SC, by Marcio KoganALL WE NEED NOW IS YOUR WORK!
We’re here to help. Need info? Drop us a note at info @ sparkawards.com or call +1.914.481.6106ANDHERE’S SOME CASH BACK
Enter 5 designs, get the 6th free. Just email us first. And how about 5% off your order? Here’s the coupon code: spark 5PercSEE YOU SOON.LET’S SPARK AGAIN, LIKE WE DID LAST SUMMER!

CONCEPTS AWARDED! GREAT DESIGNS
& HOT DESIGNERSSPARK’S PROUD
Our first Spark:Concept Awards are a big success, judged by the quality of work and it’s exceptional focus on “Design For Everyone.” There are 50 winners from around the world, with a great showing by Korean and US designers. It’s too much to cover in SNN, so please visit the Winner’s Galleryl.Silver Winner Onebike charges up as an exercycle, then converts to an electric street bike. A cool design by Choi Byoung-soo & Kim Jun-kyeong of Hoseo Univerity, Korea.Smartsqueeze addresses stress-related problems for autistic children. Canadian Lisa Fraser, from Emily Carr University, earned a top Spark! Award for this design.This interesting Gold Spark winner is a compact lift-truck & logistics system by the TEAMS Design office in Germany.The elegant Manual Intraosseus Drill, by Lunar Design-San Francisco, is a device for medical emergency crews. It received the top overall vote from the Spark:Concept Jury.SPARK:PRO COMING UP FAST
We hope you are as excited as we are–this promises to be the biggest Spark Awards yet. Pro hits the deadline a month earlier than last year, so be sure to mark your calendar for September 15. We are accepting entries now!Spark:Pro Jury Includes:
Gadi Amit, New Deal Design, San Francisco
Dan Harden, President, Whipsaw, San Jose
Andreas Harlow, Design Director, NIKE, Portland
Cathy Huang, President, China Bridge, Shanghai
Imre Molnar, Dean, College of Creative Studies, Detroit
Rhys Newman, Director Strategic Projects, Nokia Design, Los Angeles
James Parr, Innovation Director, Imaginals, Ltd. London
Kristen Richards, Editor in Chief, ArchNewsNow, New York
Stanley Saitowitz, Design Principal, Natoma Architects, San Francisco
John Skidgel, UX Designer, YouTube / Google Inc.
Leslie Speer. Assistant Professor, Art & Design, San Jose State University
REMEMBER OUR CONCEPT ENTRANTS AT BOOTCAMP?
In partnership with YouNoodle.com, Spark judges sent Maria Pitallano and Kevin Cheng to a month-long entrepreneurship bootcamp, hosted at Stanford University. It paid off, because the concept they created at camp won a Silver Spark Award (The Jury didn’t know they were the Bootcampers). Between them, Maria & Kevin (with other teammates) took home five Sparks of various levels. Good stuff!WHICH SCHOOLS WON THE “MOST PRIZES?”
Two schools in Korea take the cake. HongIk University, had the most entries into Spark, 17 designs. Seoul National University of Science & Technology had the most winners, with 6 Spark Awards. Both schools will receive Certificates of Honor, and special student discounts in upcoming Spark:Concepts.
SOUTH KOREAN SPARKS IN NY
Twelve design seniors and recent grads were in NYC last week to take advanced studies at the School of Visual Arts. Sponsored by the Design Center of Busan and the Korean govt., they were ably led by Yuna Kim. Despite record temps, the team had a great time visiting MoMA, Jones Beach and other cultural highlights. We arranged a SparkMeet at Heartland Brewery to chill and chat about design in Korea.Peter Kuchnicki, Spark Founder & Yuna Kim, Design Center Busan, discussing the next Spark:Concept.THAT’S A WRAP!
Spark:Pro deadlines September 8 and Sept. 19, and the next Spark:Concept Call For Entry begins this week. Join us and enter the dialog about the potential of great design.

Having trouble viewing this page? Visit >HERE

Spark Schools RuleIs your School on this list? If not– there’s still time. See above
Art Center College of Design
California College of the Arts
Dong-Eui Institute of Technology
Guangdong University of Technology
Hanyang University
Hongik University
I.I.T Delhi
Keimyung University
Kyocera Mita
Kyungwon Univ.
Parsons New School for Design
Pratt Institute
PSG College of Technology
RISD
Samsung Art & Design Institute
SangMyung University
SCIT
Seoul National University of Science and Techology
Seoul Tech
Sookmyung Women University
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Umeå Institute of Design
University of Pennsylvania
Yeungnam University
Yongin University
Emily Carr College

The Spark Awards celebrate design in all disciplines, from Architecture to Digital, Product to Print. Visit and enter today.

ALL DESIGN — ALL DESIGNERS– WELCOME!

CONCEPT DEADLINE: SOONENTER ONE
Deadlines have a way of revving up the Spark Community. October 1 is no exception–it’s the Early deadline for our Autumn Spark:Concept Awards. This competition is designed to emphasize work that is in the “ideation” stage, but not produced work.If you are a designer with a spec project, an architect with a great interpretation, a transpo designer with a cool new vehicle– or a student with a perfect portfolio piece–Spark:Concept is a great way to get that design “out there.” Join us today at www.sparkawards.com!ENTER ALL
Also, enter five designs, get a sixth entry at no charge.JURIES–WE’VE GOT JURIESSpark:Pro Includes:
Gadi Amit, New Deal Design, San Francisco
Dan Harden, President, Whipsaw, San Jose
Andreas Harlow, Design Director, NIKE, Portland
Cathy Huang, President, China Bridge, Shanghai
Imre Molnar, Dean, College of Creative Studies, Detroit
Rhys Newman, Director Strategic Projects, Nokia Design, Los Angeles
James Parr, Innovation Director, Imaginals, Ltd. London
Kristen Richards, Editor in Chief, ArchNewsNow, New York
Stanley Saitowitz, Design Principal, Natoma Architects, San Francisco
John Skidgel, UX Designer, YouTube / Google Inc.
Will Laufs, Prinipal, Buro Happold, NYC
Leslie Speer. Assistant Professor, Art & Design, San Jose State UniversitySpark:Concept Includes:
Jury Chair, Kit Hinrichs, Principal, Studio Hinrichs, San Francisco.
Professor Jan von Holstein, College of Design & Innovation, Tongji Univ., Shanghai
Richard Watson, Principal, Essential Design, Boston
Andreas Harlow, Design Director, NIKE, Portland
Dan Sturges, Transportation Consultant, Boulder
Michael Kirchman, Partner, Global Design Strategies, NY/LondonESSENTIAL FRIENDS
Essential Design of Boston has joined the Spark Founders Program, we’re delighted to announce. Spark’s Firm Friends help us provide a strong platform for the mission of supporting and promoting creativity and innovation. Spark is an old friend of Essential, whose works have graced our winner’s circle, and partners Richard and Scott have contributed their time to the Spark juries. Get to know them: “Essential is the design innovation partner for leaders seeking to accelerate business success. We are a focused team of research, design and engineering professionals, whose design thinking methods inform and translate strategy into breakthrough products and services.” www.essential-design.com
TWO CONCEPT ENTRANTS WIN ENTREPRENEURSHIP CAMP PRIZE
In partnership with Younoodle.com, Spark is sending two bright designers back to school. Maria Pitallano and Kevin Cheng were chosen to receive scholarships to a month-long entrepreneurship bootcamp, being hosted at Stanford University. They’ll get lot’s of help working out business models for their designs, meeting top VC’s, visiting hot Silicon Valley firms and networking like crazy. we hope to offer this Prize in the future, too. More detail: >HERE
And on Facebook: >HERE

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WWW.SPARKAWARDS.COM

“The Spark mission is to promote better living through better design.
Spark believes Design is an important, relevant tool to help
build a better world.”

New York Show
500 exhibitors–from over 35 countries in 10 categories, from accessories
to wall coverings, the ICFF is North America’s premier showcase for
contemporary design. Lot’s to see and the adter-show parties in
SOHO and NOHO and all over town are great too.
Worth the trip–May 14-17

SAVE BIG BUCKS
Spark designers–show your fiscal rectitude! Take advantage
of Early entry discounts now in effect until May 31. Spark:Pro
entrants save up to $115 vs. late reg fee: Professional entry,
US$285, Non-profit organizations and NGO’s, US$185.
Another great discount deal: enter 5 designs, get the 6th free
of charge. No limit to this offer, so—if you’ve got ’em, flaunt them!

In late October, Spark will take part in the Taiwan International
Design Expo and the fabulous International Design Alliance
Congress. Exciting stuff! Full details are >HERE.

Thanks for your interest in Spark. Please tell your friends–there’s a new home for Good Design!

–Peter F. Kuchnicki, Founder

DEADLINES–WE’VE GOT DEADLINES!

With two competitions to promote–Spark:Pro and Spark:Concept, it’s bound to be a little confusing to our entrants. Please check the Sparksite regularly for any late changes–and here are the next key dates:

>Spark:Pro Standard Deadline: Midnight, PST, Sept. 8

Sally Is Roadcasting Again

Our Ms Dominguez is a top designer, Spark winner and good writer, based in Australia and SF. Her last car story for Spark had something to do with high heels and driving fast. Her latest blog is about the Mercedes-Benz eco car that runs on hydrogen. Check out all Sally’s sallies >HERE.A DAY AT THE SPARK

On a lovely recent morn we received entries, inquiries and invitations from designers from four countries. All different design fields, all interesting designs. This is a fun thing about producing Spark–its international diversity.

From Japan, Kenichi Sato sent a note, asking about the logistics of the competition. He’s journeying to the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in NYC, to show a series of chairs at the Jetro pavillion. Here’s his site: http://www.plyproject.com/. We’ll be stopping by for a bit of saki.Next we heard from designer Dejan Margetic, from Subotica, Serbia and Montenegro. Have not seen his design yet–but we’re looking forward to it–welcome Dejan!

From Pretoria South Africa, Design Firm Terrestrial submitted a low-radiation CT Scanner called the Statscan. I want one!

Spirits maker Abnormal Group from Singapore is entering an interesting example of package design for ONE KEY GIN. Designer is Branko Lukic of Nonobject Design.THE SPARK:PRO JURY IS WATCHING

We have a great crew of early recruits to the Bench–and they are already studying the entries we’ve received. First step–analyzing past winners. I’m impressed! Here’s the roster so far:

Gadi Amit, New Deal Design, San Francisco

Dan Harden, President, Whipsaw, San Jose

Andreas Harlow, Design Director, NIKE, Portland

Cathy Huang, President, China Bridge, Shanghai

Imre Molnar, Dean, College of Creative Studies, Detroit

Rhys Newman, Director Strategic Projects, Nokia Design, Los Angeles

Kristen Richards, Editor in Chief, ArchNewsNow, New York

Stanley Saitowitz, Design Principal, Natoma Architects, San Francisco

John Skidgel, UX Designer, YouTube / Google Inc.

Leslie Speer. Professor, Art & Design, San Jose State University

CATCH A KICKSTARTER

Web funding site Kickstarter serves an admirable purpose of helping good causes get cash, but comes with a catch: if contributions don’t equal your goal, your project gets zero. Here’s one needy project we admire–maybe you can help: Artist Elana Gutman’s installation art project on immigrants, in Berne. Check it out >HERE

THE SPARK WELCOME LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON

COME VISIT SOON!

DATELINE: WWW.SPARKAWARDS.COM
SPRING ENTRY SALEHello Designers, Educators, Colleagues and Friends—At last! Spring has really arrived in the northern hemisphere. We are basking in nice weather and daffodils!
Here’s the view from Spark’s windowTo share our delight—Sparkawards is offering all designers a special discount off your entry price. Just put in the discount code “spark5Perc” into the entry form.This rate is good until May 1st, 2011, and works for both competitions—Spark:Pro and Spark:Concept.We’re still in the Early-bird pricing for Spark:Pro, so this can add up to some serious savings ($81/€56 off Pro prices).Let a thousand designs bloom–and send us a bouquet of your best work soon!
All Best–
–Peter Kuchnicki,
DirectorGeneral Info:
Designers and architects can now choose from two competitions–the Spark Pro Awards, for work that is in production or pre-production, produced or built, and/or, the Spark Concept Awards, for conceptual work.Spark @ sparkawards.com or call toll-free US/Canada 866.646.6715. International: +1.914.481.6106
General info is at www.sparkawards.comSpark has thousands of Linkedin, twitter, Facebook and Spark Community members. (Find the links at our home page.) Join us all on the cutting edge of design today!

DATELINE: WWW.SPARKAWARDS.COMMARCH–IN LIKE A LIONAnd we bet a few of you design lions are roaring for more business. Time to get out there, meet clients, brainstorm with chums, put together a strategic multi-disciplinary taskforce (!), go to design mixers like Rob Curedale’s great series, chat with all your headhunter friends and exchange the biz buzz with EVERYBODY. You never know where you’ll get that special tip for a really great gig.Here’s an interesting source that might help: Linked in has a brand new feature that might become a useful tool– it’s a news conglomeration page, and you can choose various industries, like Design, to follow. Today’s issue features our friends at Smart Design (you have to sign in to view it): http://www.linkedin.com/today/design?goback=NETWORKING?
Then– please tell your networks– The Spark:Pro competition Early deadline is May 31.
Spark:Pro > http://tinyurl.com/SparkProBUSY SIX MONTHS
We’ve enjoyed the rapid pace of changes since October. Now it’s time to settle into our new digs, sort things out, smooth the rough edges and get Sparking. Join us on our quest for great design. Maybe it’s yours.
All Best–
–Peter
PS: Keep your Sparks bright!

NEW SPARK BOARDISTAS

Renowned designers Tucker Viemeister, Lab Chief for David Rockwell Studio, NY, and Scott Stropkay, Partner at Essential Design, Boston, are adding an East Coast flavor to the Spark Awards Advisory Council. Both served on the 2010 Jury and made valuable contributions to the exciting changes Spark recently announced. We are also very pleased to welcome famed designer Michael Vanderbyl, Vanderbyl Design, San Francisco, to the Council. Michael served ably as 2010 Co-Chair of the Jury. He was a rock of resolution, making the smart, tough choices that always befall Jury Chairs.

We have a vigorous year in front of Spark. Thanks for helping out, guys– much appreciated!

IDEO OPEN ORG

PEOPLE-POWERED DESIGN FOR PEOPLE

Click on pic for link

The always impressive folks at IDEO impress again, taking crowd-sourcing to a new level of design– or design to the crowd–whatever! Anyway, we like it a lot. Here’s part of their MISSION STATEMENT:

“OpenIDEO is a place where people design better, together for social good. It’s an online platform for creative thinkers: the veteran designer and the new guy who just signed on, the critic and the MBA, the active participant and the curious lurker. Together, this makes up the creative guts of OpenIDEO.

To become a place where good ideas gain momentum, OpenIDEO depends on participation — your inspirations, his comments, her concepts, our design process. It’s these efforts, these big and small moments of sharing and collaboration, that make this platform a dynamic resource for tackling significant global challenges.

IDEO, a design and innovation firm, developed OpenIDEO as a way to include a broader range of people in the design process through inspiration, concepting, and evaluation.”

Looks like the Partner/Sponsors of all this good stuff (besides IDEO) are:

Stanford University Haas Center for Public Service
Unilever and WSUP (Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor)
Jamie Oliver
Enterprising Schools
Institute For Large Scale Innovation
Oxfam and Nokia

“The Spark mission is to promote better living through better design. Spark believes Design is an important, relevant tool to help build a better world.”
Spark 2011 Exhibitions

More exhibitions are in the works! Winner’s can be seen in Spark’s unique design display at San Francisco’s Autodesk Design Gallery. The Gallery is open to the
public on Wednesdays. Here’s the link: http://usa.autodesk.com/company/autodesk-galleryWe are also scheduled for display at the Taiwan Design Center in the coming months, and hopefully in Seoul at the Korean Institute of Design Promotion.

Thanks for your interest in Spark. Please tell your friends–there’s a new home for Good Design!

–Peter F. Kuchnicki,
El Spark Presidente

SPARK AWARDS 2.0
-CONCEPT & PRO!

The new 2011 Spark Design & Architecture Awards have been announced. According to the official press release, significant changes to Spark coincide with the 2011
Call For Entry

“We’re pleased to announce major changes in Spark, focusing new attention on aspirational design, designers and their designs, stated Spark Founder, Peter Kuchnicki. “In this two-phase competition, all successful Finalists will have clearly demonstrated a Design that makes a Difference. Aspirational design is why we are in this business–and no doubt, an important reason why so many designers have taken part in this competition.”

Spark organizers believe that this attention to “big idea” design is a key differentiator from the old-style, legacy design competitions.

FROM ONE TO TWO
The Spark Design & Architecture Awards, also referred to as “Spark Pro,” will now focus on work that has been built (produced, realized or in pre-production). The competition no longer includes design work in the idea or proposal stage, which now can be found in a new dedicated competition called Spark:Concept.

Both competitions continue Spark’s original mission, criteria and categories.

As Spark Juror, Scott Stropay of Boston’s Essential Design described it, “Spark:Concept promotes great ideas with the specific goal of sparking their development. Spark:Pro promotes the recognition of designers and organizations who have tackled the difficulties of production, and still emerged with beautiful, elegant and efficient design solutions.” In this way, stated the organizers, Spark initiates positive design-led change, by highlighting the best new ideas and the best new solutions.

THE TWO SEASONS OF SPARK:CONCEPT
Because concept design entries are often student work, Spark:Concept events will be held twice a year, timed to facilitate entries from each major school semester—Spring and Fall. Both events are international in scope and accept entries from all designers, everywhere.

CALL FOR ENTRY BEGINS FOR BOTH
Beginning February 1st, aspiring designers will be able to enter their coolest designs in the Spark competitions. As always, submitted work immediately goes into the Spark Galleries, where it gains a good deal of attention. Smart designers take advantage of this additional exposure by entering early. They also benefit from Early entry rates–always important in these economically-challenged times!

EARLY REGISTRATION FEES
SAVE BIG BUCKS
Spark designers–show your fiscal rectitude! Take advantage of Early entry discounts now in effect. Both Spark:Pro and Spark:Concept offer these benefits.

In late October, Spark will take part in the Taiwan International Design Expo and the fabulous International Design Alliance Congress. Exciting stuff! Special 60% Spark discount available until March. Full details are >HERE.

Winner’s will have their work displayed from the end of October in Spark’s unique design display at San Francisco’s hot Autodesk Design Gallery. The Gallery is open to the public on Wednesdays–Here’s the link: http://usa.autodesk.com/company/autodesk-galleryWe are also delighted to be returning to the famous Canton Fairs in Guangzhou. The SparkChina exhibit’s gracious host will be the Guangdong Industrial Design Association. Please visit us: December 8-11. For info, drop a note to: info @ sparkawards.comLater in the year, Spark will take part in the Taiwan International Design Expo and the fabulous International Design Alliance Congress. Exciting stuff! All work and full details on Spark events will be posted at: www.sparkawards.com

And we’re not forgetting all the Media Partners & Bloggers who have helped get the Sparks out.So many wonderful friends!And You– the true width and depth of Spark

SPARKS WILL BE BACK
One For All!–Peter F. Kuchnicki,
Spark Director

SPARK AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

The 2010 Spark Design & Architecture Winning Awards have been announced in the unique Spark design competition. 59 audacious designs have taken top honors, ranging from Franz Von Holzhausen’s Tesla Model S to the Bobble by Karim Rashid

“The Spark mission is to promote better living through better design. Spark believes Design is an important, relevant tool to help build a better world.”

New York, NY (PRWEB) November 10, 2010
Nearly three hundred top designs were entered into the final phases in this year’s Spark Design and Architecture Awards. Over 837 registered designers and firms, agencies and students from over 62 countries have twittered, linked, friended and interacted –and in the process added a new social dimension to this fast growing design competition.

“Spark celebrates the best in dazzling design – from architecture and products to cutting-edge conceptual work,” explains Peter Kuchnicki, executive director of Spark Awards. “But we want more – things that blow existing solutions apart, by people who see problems with completely new eyes.” This year brought entries from around the world, giving judges insight into cultural design practices and processes from Seoul to Sao Paulo, Moscow to Mumbai.

The Spark Awards website features all of the 2010 entries and winners—and all of the previous Spark entrants and winners are also archived permanently on the site.

The JuryDesign fans know that Spark draws exceptional Jurors, and 2010 was par excellence. The Jury was co-chaired by Chee Pearlman, who headed the selection committee, and Michael Vanderbyl, who took responsibility for the Judging process.

Spark Entry Pool– Rich With InnovationInteractive Design: Ford’s SmartGauge
Smart Design and IDEO
A unique new LCD instrument cluster built into Ford’s 2010 Hybrid Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans. It’s aimed at informing and adapting the behavior of the least efficient part of a hybrid vehicle, the driver.Communication Design: Discoveries Magazine, Summer 2010
Kit Hinrichs, Studio Hinrichs
For Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Discoveries magazine is the forum for communicating the world-class medical research it conducts.Design For the Other 90%: Biomass Fuel Cooker
Liu Fang, Originplus Research & Innovation
A Safe, clean and affordable cooking solution for undeveloped China rural area. The stove is the first cooking stove to use biomass pellet as fuel in China. The biomass pellet is made of crop residue such as wheat rice or bean, for heating and power generation.Product Design: The Bobble
Karim Rashid Design
Bobble is a sleek, reusable, water bottle that filters as you drink. Bobble features a carbon filter that is interchangeable and replaceable. Each filter equates to 300 single-serve bottles, thus saving landfill and reducing oil consumption in plastics manufacturing.